NYC mayor: Victim in political operative's trial?

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By JENNIFER PELTZ

NEW YORK (AP) - It's a case of political intrigue that puts New York's billionaire mayor in the unlikely role of victim, froze a political party's bank account and splashed light on the inner workings of a $109 million mayoral campaign.

In short, the upcoming trial of a campaign operative charged with stealing $1.2 million from Mayor Michael Bloomberg promises to be can't-miss drama for political junkies, if an awkward episode for a mayor who likes to be seen as above the political fray.

Jury selection is set to start Monday for Republican consultant John Haggerty's criminal trial, which could feature Bloomberg as its star witness. He's on prosecutors' witness list, though it's unclear whether he actually will be called to testify, according to a person familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss aspects of the case not yet made public.

Whether the mayor appears or not, "people are going to be interested in the story and sort of drawing back the curtain to see how the wizard operates," Baruch College political science professor Doug Muzzio said.

Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20110912/D9PMU9N80.html